political perspectives from Joni Hudson-Reynolds, an African-American Mom

Take Your Dream Out of Layaway-Book Review by Elaine Hegwood Bowen

This book is so full of tips that are outlined in a very easy manner so that no one misses the mark. Most all of us are familiar with the “old school” layaway system, where if you didn’t have enough money on hand to purchase a particular item, you would put a bit of money down and pay weekly, until the item was finally yours to take home. Joni Hudson-Reynolds uses this same system to posit that many of us have put our dreams on layaway, and it’s about time to get those dreams out of layaway and have them begin to work in our favor.

There are exciting chapters that include Finding The Dream Again, The Burden and Blessing of the Dream, Owning The Dream, Living the Dream and Working the Dream, among others.

Hudson-Reynolds helps people lay out a strategy to achieve their dreams and purpose, even if one has become stagnant and the latter has been up to now undiscovered. She is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago and in 2011 launched Dreams with Deadlines—a workshop designed for women who have a dream and want to learn how to make it happen.

An excerpt from the book jacket: This book is for people like you—who have a dream but for some reason have not been able to make it happen. You will learn how to say no and mean it; how to close the adoption agency; how to own your dream; how to start again and how to effectively use your 24 hours and more.

The author uses Biblical scriptures to accentuate some points in presenting approaches that are both logical and informative. Nothing is particularly earth shattering, but the information is often filled with anecdotes about events that have occurred in the author’s life that make the suggestion presented easier to comprehend.

For example, in Chapter 5, Giving Your Dream A Deadline, Hudson-Reynolds talks about her freshman year of college and meeting deadlines for her assignments. She spoke of using a flashlight to complete her reading, because the power had gone out in her neighborhood. She vowed not to waste time or money that had been used for her college tuition, and says that your deadline to complete whatever task you have laid out should be of an urgent concern. Finally, she says you should make every resolve to complete it on time.

Each chapter is also followed by “dream steps,” so the reader can outline positive actions to bring one closer to his or her goals.

I found this book helpful in my personal life with my dream that needed a bit of a push, as well. I highly recommend this book for people who are just getting started on the road to their dreams, or for those who have pulled on the side of the road and need a little help navigating back to the finish line.

Hudson-Reynolds’ mission is to empower people with the tools necessary to walk toward their destinies. She is available for speaking engagements and interviews.